For some protesters gathered outside premier Francois Legault’s office Sunday, Quebec’s plan to distribute up to $600 to households this fall won’t help some people to pay their rent.
“One cheque, maybe it will help people to not go to the food bank for one week or one month, but after that, they’re still in a place they cannot afford,” argued Véronique Laflamme, spokesperson for the housing rights group, Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU).
The money, which the government claims will help Quebecers ease the burden of inflation, will cost the province over $3 million, cash the demonstrators pointed out could be put towards social housing.
Though the province has made some promises in recent months to invest in social housing, protesters argue more is needed and say the government should commit starting now.
“Namely to build at least 50,000 (social housing units) over the next five years,” said Amy Darwish of Comité d’Action de Parc Extension (CAPE), another housing rights advocacy group.
They and others at the demonstration want the government to make that commitment in its mini-budget, expected this fall.
That’s because, as the demonstrators point out, many people have been waiting for too long for social housing.
“There have been a number of buildings that have been acquired for social housing, but no projects can be developed because the Legault government simply won’t invest in social housing,” Darwish told Global News.
Housing advocates have long chastised the provincial government for the number of such projects.
According to them, the province hasn’t put enough cash into the AccèsLogis program, which pools public, private and community resources to build social and affordable housing.
“This program needs to be improved,” Laflamme insisted.
Tenants at the protest said the situation is urgent.
“A lot of us pay more than 30 per cent of our revenue to rent, living in abject poverty,” stressed Nicholas Harvest, “because we have to pay for somewhere to live.”
To help press that point home to the government, some of the protesters will travel across the province with a float built like a house.
The plan is to park it in front of the Quebec legislature in mid-February, before the full provincial budget is presented.